our turn now, i guess, to endure tornadoes. Much of small town of Hugo flattened

[MnFats]

n.e. of Twin Cities....a few miles up the road from my place.
for an hour or so you could hear emergency vehicles heading up there.
first tv helicopter footage shows new homes under construction reduced to kindling.
hard to imagine there could NOT be injuries/deaths with the destruction being shown.

if you're into that sort of thing, prayers are in order.

[yellerpup]

1. So sorry to hear that.

All good thoughts and strength to you and those in your area. :hug:

[blonndee]

2. I'm sorry. That is so scary.

I don't pray, but you're in my thoughts. I empathize. I lived four years in Oklahoma and many spring days were terrifying. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the best for you guys. You never know--sometimes it's amazing what people can survive, even in tornadoes.

[NMDemDist2]

3. stay safe

:hug:

[gateley]

4. Take care -- hope everyone in Hugo is okay! nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. I'm watching TV now -- looks like a real mess.

They just said one child was killed that they know of, 20 people unaccounted for. Strange, we didn't even get rain in Minneapolis.

[MnFats]

7. yes, one small child killed, another not breathing on arrival

at st. john's in maplewood, but revived and taken to regions.
this is going to be bad..

[underseasurveyor]

6. Well stay alert, watch the skies

and stay safe... I have many many friends and my son living all over the mid and upper midwest states, WY. CO. NE. IA. MN.

This time of year tends to make me a bit nervous.. some years more than others, like this year:scared:

Take care :grouphug:

[Tashca]

8. Just talked to my wifes uncle

East of Waterloo Iowa.......Tornado went through there......only one injury reported so far. It is serious.
He lost three 100+ year old trees.
Many emergency vehicles on the road.
This is going to be a long night.
I just stepped outside.....there is an unbelievable amount of energy in the air...

[uppityperson]

9. Shit. Best wishes to Hugo-ites and all around.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3339957&mesg_id=3339957
I just posted a topic with several stories. Hope you all are ok and all are ok.

[malaise]

10. Stay safe

Is this the worst year for tornadoes in memory?

[madrchsod]

12. worse 5 months in history for kansas and that area...

don`t know about the upper mid west...nothing her in northern illinois yet but it`s 75 where i`m at so who knows. we dodged an outbreak this afternoon but tomorrow looks bads

[malaise]

21. Thanks for that

Sure seems higher than I remember

[Firespirit]

18. It is a record year

100+ fatalities, 1000+ tornadoes reported already... typical end-of-year totals are in the 1100 range. Two tornadoes are responsible for over 40 of the deaths.

8 violent EF4 tornadoes, not counting anything that occurred today, if any of today's tornadoes should be given an EF4 or EF5 rating. While recent days have been awful for the Plains and Midwest, the Southeast has also taken it bad this year, with 6 of the EF4s occurring in southern states.

It's pretty bad.

[malaise]

23. Thanks

Climate change is real.

[uppityperson]

11. wcco has some pictures, 1 killed, 20 missing. Stay low.

shit shit shit
http://wcco.com/
http://wcco.com/slideshows/hugo.tornado.damage.20.732675.html

Sample:




Coon Rapids:

[Tashca]

13. Just showed my wife these pic's.

She said a small town east of Waterloo Iowa....Parkersburg just got hit hard. Said those pic's look just like the ones she just saw....Reports of a parade of emergency vehicles...

[uppityperson]

14. articles, last one has picts of Parkersburg...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/05/25/severe.weather/?iref=mpstoryview
An apparent tornado toppled buildings in a central Iowa town, trapping several people, as twisters swept across the Midwest on Sunday evening. A Butler County, Iowa, dispatcher confirmed a touchdown in Parkersburg, population 2,000, in central Iowa. She said several people were trapped in structures, but didn't know how many. Spotters also reported a tornado near Dunkerton, about 40 miles east of Parkersburg, that they said caused considerable damage and flung debris as it moved east at 23 mph.

----------------
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jW-BndswWuhgPAPXOK4Q6TCQsANQD90T0JI82
In northeastern Iowa, at least six people were injured, one critically, when a possible tornado touched down near Parkersburg, authorities said. Jim Waterbury, a spokesman for Allen Hospital in Waterloo, said people came from nearby Grundy Center, Aplington and Eldora for treatment of mild to moderate injuries.

"It looks like most of them are fractures and broken collarbones," Butler County sheriff's department said. "One is in critical condition." Officials have opened Parkersburg's elementary school for evacuees.

A possible tornado also struck the nearby town of Dunkerton, with reports of structures damaged in both cities and in rural Black Hawk County.
-----------------------------------
http://www.whotv.com/global/story.asp?s=8378124
According to storm reports, significant damage to homes, trees and power lines has occurred in Parkersburg. Many homes have suffered significant damage in the town as well as Aplington-Parkersburg High School. The NWS says roads are impassible in the town.

Channel 13 has also confirmed the town of Parkersburg has been evacuated due to an anhydrous ammonia leak.

As of 7:30 p.m., KWWL-TV reports at least fourteen people were listed as injured at Allen Hospital in Waterloo. Additionally, homes have reportedly been destroyed in a sub-division near New Hartford. Softball sized hail has also been reported throughout eastern Iowa. Additional damage has been reported all throughout Black Hawk, Bremer, Black Hawk and Grundy counties as well.

[beevul]

15. Hugo is my hometown. I grew up and spent 30+ years there.

I have a sister and brother in law, nephew and niece and half a dozen family members that live in hugo, and were there today.

My parents were also visiting them from the Washington/Oregon area where they retired.

I just got off the phone with them. There are 20 missing, and a 6 year old child dead.

The tornado touched down about 1 mile south of washington county road 4, and a bit west of highway 61.

I am thankful that my family are all ok.


Edited for spelling - about 5 times. Shaky hands atm.

[underseasurveyor]

16. Yoiu must be going out of your mind

I would be.. feeling so helpless so far away.

Big hugs for you :grouphug:

[beevul]

19. In some ways yes.

Thanks for the hugs, very comforting right about now.


When I heard the news, I immediately had a sense of dread. I was mowing the lawn at the time, and Mrs Beevul came out and told me. In the time it took to get to the phone though, I considered how many times my mother had me and my sister under the kitchen table in snowmobile helmets during severe weather warnings, while my father watched the skys. I knew that they would not be caught unprepared. My mother and father survived a trip a hundred or so feet off the ground in a mobile home that was picked up by a tornado, BC (before children), and they monitor the weather with the fervor of religious fanatics.

When I called, and got thier voice mail though...I lost it. Thankfully they called back within 5 minutes.

The destruction makes me very sad, but one thing I can tell you, knowing TONS of people in that area, is that hugo is full of good people, and they will pull together and get things sorted out no matter what it takes.


What I dread at this point, is the next 24-48 hours. Like I say, I grew up there, and between boy scouts, high school, community in general, and it being a small town where everybody knows everybody (this to a lesser extent than when I grew up but still the case) I am certain that I am going to be getting some phone calls over the couple days.

And most of them not conveying good news.

[uppityperson]

22. Hang in there, don't anticipate too much bad. Snowmobile helmets?

That is very funny. (We spent many nights camping out in our basement in ND.) Sounds like your parents were quite aware people. Houses can be rebuilt, hoping the best for the people. Sounds like you got the best phone call you could so far. May the others be few.

[beevul]

24. Yeah, snowmobile helmets, no joke.

My mom would have us in snowmobile helmets under the kitchen table, then buried under a mountain of blankets, and be screaming for my dad who was watching the sky out the front door to get his ass in and get under the table.

Our family has a history with bad weather...the tornado where my mom and dad went up in the mobile home...and my grandpa tearing the sides off it with his bloody bear hands to get to them...strait line winds taking our roof off our house...and water pressure colapsing our basement in...and in the last 24 hours, over a dozen tornados near to where i live now...


It almost makes me paranoid lol.


On edit: Yeah, they are very aware people, and like good parents, they made sure that my sister and I understood the importance of being aware of whats going on around you at all times...especially where the weather is concerned. Theres no bargaining with it or reasoning with it. All you can do is be prepared for it.

[uppityperson]

25. Most DUers I'd like to meet. I'd want to be very careful scheduling to meet you.

On the other hand, you have survived so far so maybe I'd want to be really close?

[beevul]

26. Hahahaha.

Thank you, a laugh is something I was in need of...


Whats wierd, is where I live now in central Nebraska near the kansas border, the storms get near us, split in two, and go around both sides of us (for the most part).


I'm now going to go knock on every damn piece of wood I can find...

On edit: If you ever find yourself in south central Nebraska and hankerin for a meal, look me up, and I'd be happy to make you one of my famous (in my own mind, anyway) locally grown (none of that supermarket crap) steak dinners, with hearty helpins of organic sweet corn and potatoes. And if you be a vegetarian, I have a huge garden of mostly organic veggies to substitute. :hi: When theres no storms predicted, of course.

[underseasurveyor]

28. I lived in a very small town

(pop: 248 to be exact *heh*) in Iowa for 9 years. Our second summer there a large tornado hit just 5 miles north of where we lived. A few farms took direct hits and I was amazed how quickly everyone really pulls together. It is truly a sight to behold.. very heartwarming too. And you know it, everybody knows everybody and you'll more than likely personally know someone this has directly affected..

Well my wish for you is that may you receive all good news.. K :pals:

[beevul]

29. Yep. When chips start falling, folks pull together in a way that can only be described as amazing.

From what little information I got on the phone with mom and dad, thats exactly whats going on.

On one hand its amazing, but on the other hand...when you grow up in a place like you described, or a place like Hugo, you just know without ever giving it much thought that people pulling together without respect to religion or politics is exactly what is going to happen...because during a situation like this on a "people" level, those things have no meaning.

Often, the fact that such events really bring out the best in people gets lost somewhere along the way. Thats not the only thing to focus on, obviously, but its important not to forget.

The news has been 95% good so far, and I'm hoping that the people I haven't heard from yet are all out of town.


TY again, for the well wishes.

[uppityperson]

17. I am glad your family is ok, this is a very hard thing to go through.

My sympathy and empathy to you and yours. I hope the missing are found soon, and there are no more deaths. I survived a tornado as a child, and it has affected me since. Best wishes to all, am glad you found your family ok.

[beevul]

20. Thank you for the kind words.

No matter what side of any argument DU'ers are on, with few exceptions we all share a common trait - a good heart.

Thank you for opening yours to myself and my family, it means alot to me.

[beevul]

27. Update: I just got off the phone with my parents in Hugo...

Every one of my family members in hugo are Ok. Thank goodness.

But there is sad news:

Someone I went to school with lost a 2 year old, someone else I don't know lost a 6 year old.

50 homes completely and totally destroyed.

200 homes damaged ranging from minor to severe.

It is my understanding that the red cross has many of the folks whos homes were destroyed housed at the hugo school. Support the red cross please.

One huge difficulty for everyone in Hugo right now, is that this being a holiday weekend, it makes it difficult to know whos really missing, and who is out of town for the weekend.


Its going to be a hard couple of days for me, but but alot harder for people who are in hugo.